Saturday, January 2, 2016

Entrance examination system is not working the way | Breaking News | 20160101 | Apple Daily

Entrance examination system is not working the way | Breaking News | 20160101 | Apple Daily:

Entrance examination system is not working the way

Author: Li Yang (General Federation of National Union of Teachers Professional Development Fellow)
 
Current Taiwan filled with a strong "self intimidation" atmosphere.
 
Recently, presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen proposed a "comprehensive school plan, implement school district enrollment system" politics. The results immediately jumped out to a group of people, vigorously attacked, intimidated repeal elitism is to say the overall level of national mediocrity, will therefore result in a loss to the competitiveness of Taiwan, China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, if the political folly, if not pursue elitism like waiting subjugation and genocide.
 
However, I believe that this argument has at least two open to question:
 
1. This "self-intimidation" argument make sense?Furthermore, there is hard evidence it?
 
2. The abolition of elitism really will lead the country's competitiveness declined? Or say, elitist and entrance examination system is workable way?
 
First of all, talk about the right of self-intimidation.
 
Many people intimidate Taiwan if the abolition of elitism, it will lead to declining competitiveness, thus far behind to China, Japan, South Korea and Singapore. This argument I can not help but think of the 1983's the United States had a similar situation occurs. At that time, the Cold War is still in the Reagan administration (Ronald Reagan) released a report entitled "Country (A Nation at Risk) in a crisis," the report pointed out that the US public school education is extremely poor, resulting in the United States faced the Japan, South Korea, Germany and other rising star and beyond, lost its hegemony in the world crisis, which is equivalent to the seriousness of the war. According to the analysis internationally renowned educators Yong Zhao and Diane Ravitch, and this just released that is causing an unprecedented panic the American people as a direct result of the report several results:
 
1. cause people to lose confidence in the public school education;
 
2. The cause people to fail identified public schools education is the culprit cast recession;
 
3. induce people see education as security issues;
 
4. urge the public think that entrepreneurs are more suitable for the operation of education than educators, resulting in enterprise management education toward the direction of development;
 
5. The cause people and policy-makers believe enhance test scores are the only way to save the public school education, and enhance the examination results is the best way to implement more standardized tests, as well as increase the difficulty of the test;
 
6. copies of the report to become the federal government to intervene in local education basis.
 
And of the factors described above, but also indirectly contributed to the "No Child Left Behind (No Child Left Behinf, NCLB)" 2002 年 President Bush (George W. Bush) tenure of birth bill, making the United States had not emphasized this exam, importance of multiple intelligences, development and respect for national differences in individual potential, and transformed into the East Asian countries to implement elitist system of entrance examinations in line, focus on test scores and international rankings, as well as to stifle individual traits of collective test machine.
 
If in accordance with "national crisis" on the argument of the report, the United States should long ago lost position as a world hegemony in the mediocre public school education, but after the report came in 1983 to 2002 18 years before the passage of NCLB room, the United States did not lose the status of world hegemony, but still in the skilled superior ethics. But when the federal government to develop Blackhand by NCLB Act of 2002, local government education official interference, the United States is still weak in the international educational competitions, but also forced the closure of thousands of schools, and thousands of teachers and principals leaving, and even broke out in the history of the most embarrassing cheating scandal: hundreds of staff suspected tampering and fabrication student test data, and finally was sentenced. Even President Obama set a "peak towards the project (RTTT), and resorted to immunity plan, an attempt to defeat 缓颊 NCLB, but not hope in vain, even their own RTTT also the Secretary of Education resigned in bankruptcy.
 
From the above we can see, only hypothetical discussion to "self-intimidation" to think some kind of policy will lead to countries in crisis, not only unwarranted, it is unwise lack of hard evidence, and may even lead to countries in crisis is the culprit.
 
Then, come to talk about elitism and entrance examination system in the end line is not feasible.
 
Country here, we might as well take a look at PISA 2012 tells us something! According to the OECD's latest PISA 2012 results show, China (Shanghai), Singapore, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan to pursue these studies elitism and examination system in addition to the total test score among the best in the "level of student achievement gap," "excellent achievement gap between disadvantaged students", "inter-school achievement gap" and the "average student achievement gap between" these indicators to measure equity performance is not education ideal. In particular, Taiwan's performance is very odd miserable, in addition to the total test score ranked No. 5, the performance of the remaining four indicators are down at the last one, that is, in 65 countries to participate in them, and Taiwan is the worst educational equity country.
 
Is not that strange?
 
If elitism and entrance examination system works, then why implementing elitism and entrance examination system of China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan competitions in the equity of education is not satisfactory? Especially Taiwan, elitism and examination system studies have been carried out for many years, why education equity worse? Many Taiwanese are not all day shouting entrance examination system is only the most fair?The result of this "most fair" system has created a most unfair educational achievement, how did this happen? If elitism is the right way, if the entrance exam system is the fairest option, why would Taiwan's educational achievement so unfair?
 
So the fact that has been very clear: elitism and entrance exam system simply does not work the way. 
Since the self-intimidation argument makes no sense, why do we continue to be deceived forever?Since elitism and entrance examination system has been a dead end, why do we continue to stubbornly go on it? That being the case, why not change ideas, change direction, to yourself, to others, but also to Taiwan a chance to try it?
Entrance examination system is not working the way | Breaking News | 20160101 | Apple Daily:

Friday, January 1, 2016

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 1/1/15



CORPORATE ED REFORM




NYC Public School Parents: Part II of the inBloom saga: what NYSED emails to the Gates Foundation from 2011 reveal
NYC Public School Parents: Part II of the inBloom saga: what NYSED emails to the Gates Foundation from 2011 reveal:Part II of the inBloom saga: what NYSED emails to the Gates Foundation from 2011 revealA few days ago I posted Part I of this saga, about how NYSED officials delayed for a year and half the release of their FOILed emails to the Gates Foundation, Wireless Generation/Amplify, and inBloo
Marie Corfield: NJ's literacy solution: longer school day for kindergarteners?
Marie Corfield: NJ's literacy solution: longer school day for kindergarteners?: NJ's literacy solution: longer school day for kindergarteners?My blog has been quiet of late. Due to some health problems, I've had to scale back a bit on my workload. Nothing life-threatening, mind you, just enough for me to reprioritize for a little while. But I'm on the mend, and there's no better day to start back
CURMUDGUCATION: The Best Lobbyists
CURMUDGUCATION: The Best Lobbyists: The Best LobbyistsMost industries are the subject of reports about the effectiveness of the various players. Why would the lobbying industry be any different? Let me introduce you to Bloomberg's quarterly report on theBest-Managed Lobbyists in the government sector.We're going to look at the third-quarter report from 2015, and it starts by laying out the challen
Children are more than test scores: My 2016 Walking Man Resolution of Resitance to 124 years of failed education reforms
Children are more than test scores: My 2016 Walking Man Resolution of Resitance to 124 years of failed education reforms: My 2016 Walking Man Resolution of Resitance to 124 years of failed education reformsIn 2014 Dean Paton Executive Editor of YES magazine wrote an important piece about the roots of privatization taking over our public schools. Two years later it is well worth the read people.htt
4LAKids - Ref Rodriguez: LOCAL LAUSD BOARD MEMBER FOCUSED ON MIDDLE SCHOOLS
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: Ref Rodriguez: LOCAL LAUSD BOARDMEMBER FOCUSED ON MIDDLE SCHOOLS: Ref Rodriguez: LOCAL LAUSD BOARDMEMBER FOCUSED ON MIDDLE SCHOOLSby Sheila Lane, Los Feliz Ledger Contributing Writer | http://bit.ly/1Opf58zDecember 30, 2015  ::  Ref Rodriguez, the newly elected Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) School Board Member for District 5, faced what he
#NPE16NC Early Bird Conference Registration Now Open!
#NPE16NC Early Bird Conference Registration Now Open!: REGISTRATION FOR NPE 2016 CONFERENCE IS NOW OPENRegister now and take advantage of our ‘early bird’ reduced rates for NPE’s 3rd Annual National Conference, And Justice for All: Strengthening Public Education for Each Child, which will take place April 16 – 17, 2016.REGISTER HEREOn Friday night, April 15, 2016, education advocates from around t
2016 New Year’s prediction – Governor Dannel Malloy will resign in the next 385 days. - Wait What?
2016 New Year’s prediction – Governor Dannel Malloy will resign in the next 385 days. - Wait What?: 2016 New Year’s prediction – Governor Dannel Malloy will resign in the next 385 days.As the newly crowned head of the Democratic Governors Association, Dannel Malloy will spend 2016 crisscrossing the United States to campaign for Democratic gubernatorial candidates and his preferred presidential con
Arne Duncan: Testocracy Tsar. Educational Alchemist. Corporate lackey. | The Progressive
Arne Duncan: Testocracy Tsar. Educational Alchemist. Corporate lackey. | The Progressive: Arne Duncan: Testocracy Tsar. Educational Alchemist. Corporate lackeyArne Duncan, the U.S. Secretary of Education is set to resign at the close of the 2015, ending his tenure as one of the most destructive forces against public education in history.“He’s done more to bring our educational system, sometimes ki
Howard Blume: A Balanced Account of the Berkeley Study of L.A. Charters | Diane Ravitch's blog
Howard Blume: A Balanced Account of the Berkeley Study of L.A. Charters | Diane Ravitch's blog: Howard Blume: A Balanced Account of the Berkeley Study of L.A. ChartersHoward Blume has written a very informative and fair account of the study of charters in Los Angeles conducted by Bruce Fuller and other researchers at Berkeley.The study, which is linked in the article, says that students in charter
CURMUDGUCATION: US Students Lead in Browsing
CURMUDGUCATION: US Students Lead in Browsing: US Students Lead in BrowsingThe Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is the group that administers that nifty PISA test-- the one that periodically leads to breathless headlines of "Oh Nos!! Our students don't test as well as Estonia!" But the OECD is more than just a test (and attendant PR)-- they've also been taking a look
What everyone else knows about your child | Seattle Education
What everyone else knows about your child | Seattle Education: What everyone else knows about your childSo, there is the NSA which is creepy (an unconstitutional) enough spying on every citizen in this country who has an email account or cell phone, but what about all the people who know about your child’s personal information?With every policy that goes through our city, state and national legisl
6 Education Stories To Watch In 2016 : NPR Ed : NPR
6 Education Stories To Watch In 2016 : NPR Ed : NPR: 6 Education Stories To Watch In 2016  Claudio Sanchez is the senior member of the NPR Ed team, with more than 25 years on the education beat. We asked him for his list of the top stories he'll be watching in 2016.1. The New Federal Education LawThe long, grueling fight to overhaul the 14-year-old No Child Left Behind law is over, but that'll tur
JCTA President Defends Teachers' Unions Against Bevin's Criticism
JCTA President Defends Teachers' Unions Against Bevin's Criticism: JCTA President Defends Teachers’ Unions Against Bevin’s CriticismThe president of the Jefferson County Teachers Association says Gov. Matt Bevin’s assertion that teachers’ unions hinder schools’ success is unfounded and irresponsible.Bevin, a Republican, lashed out teachers’ unions on Tuesday at an event in West Louisville to suppo
Indiana What’s Next? Education Stories To Watch In 2016 | StateImpact Indiana
What’s Next? Stories To Watch In 2016 | StateImpact Indiana: What’s Next? Stories To Watch In 2016Hoosier School Heist TV is Doug Martin's channel featuring videos of his book tour across Indiana speaking on the corporate takeover of public education. Order Hoosier School Heist at http://hoosierschoolheist.com/.Follow Hoosier School Heist on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HoosierSchoolHeistTwe

YESTERDAY

HAPPY NEW YEAR - All You Need is Love
HAPPY NEW YEAR - All You Need is LoveLove, Love, Love.Love, Love, Love.Love, Love, Love.There's nothing you can do that can't be done.Nothing you can sing that can't be sung.Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game.It's easy.Nothing you can make that can't be made.No one you can save that can't be saved.Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time.It's easy.All you










NYC Public School Parents: Part II of the inBloom saga: what NYSED emails to the Gates Foundation from 2011 reveal

NYC Public School Parents: Part II of the inBloom saga: what NYSED emails to the Gates Foundation from 2011 reveal:

Part II of the inBloom saga: what NYSED emails to the Gates Foundation from 2011 reveal


A few days ago I posted Part I of this saga, about how NYSED officials delayed for a year and half the release of their FOILed emails to the Gates Foundation, Wireless Generation/Amplify, and inBloom Inc. about their plans to share personal student data with these private corporations. Some of those emails were finally released to our lawyers on December 11, 2014, the day after John King announced his resignation as Commissioner.  Part II  is below, with excerpts from the their emails sent in 2011. Part III with more emails will follow soon!

When my FOIL was finally responded to I received hundreds and hundreds of pages with printed out emails to and from NYSED and the Gates Foundation mostly; offering all-expense trips for various meetings about teacher evaluation, data collection, and other issues, as well as a pile of contracts and agreements.  It took weeks just to sort them and start to look through them.  Sadly there were no emails from Merryl Tisch’s account, as I had asked for; and no emails from most of the state officials whose communications we had FOILed.  But we did find out some juicy details; here are some excerpts:

1/6/2011: The first email that refers to the incipent inBloom project is sent to John King, then 
Stacey Childress led the inBloom project for Gates Foundation
Deputy Commissioner, from Stacey Childress, who led the data-sharing project for the Gates Foundation.  She asks to schedule a “time to talk” about the “intersections between your RTTT instructional improvement plans and a project we are working on Gates.”

1/25/11:  Joe Scantlebury, Senior Policy Officer of the Gates Foundation, thanks Commissioner Steiner and Deputy Commissioner King for joining a call this morning; he adds that “the foundation is supportive of your interest to implement your P-16 data NYC Public School Parents: Part II of the inBloom saga: what NYSED emails to the Gates Foundation from 2011 reveal:

Marie Corfield: NJ's literacy solution: longer school day for kindergarteners?

Marie Corfield: NJ's literacy solution: longer school day for kindergarteners?:

NJ's literacy solution: longer school day for kindergarteners?



My blog has been quiet of late. Due to some health problems, I've had to scale back a bit on my workload. Nothing life-threatening, mind you, just enough for me to reprioritize for a little while. But I'm on the mend, and there's no better day to start back up than New Year's Day.

This week marks the end of the current NJ legislative session. Newly elected officials will soon be sworn in, but there's a bill coming before the Assembly Education Committee next week that has me scratching my head. 

A4779, sponsored by Ams. Reed Gusciora (D-15) and Asw. L. Grace Spencer (D-29) says: 


a. The Commissioner of Education shall declare an educational state of emergency for a school district in which, for at least 75 percent of the schools in the district, 65 percent or more of the students in the school to whom a State assessment was administered have not achieved proficiency in the English language arts/literacy subject area of the State assessment. 
b. Upon declaring an educational state of emergency pursuant to subsection a. of this section, the commissioner is authorized to distribute supplementary State aid to the school district, which shall be in addition to the State aid payable to the district pursuant to P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-43 et al.) or any other law. The supplementary State aid shall be used for the specific purpose of establishing a mandatory after school program for students in grades kindergarten through three, the duration of which is two and a half hours from the end of the school day, which is designed to increase student proficiency in English language arts and literacy. The supplementary aid shall also be used for establishing voluntary literacy programs for students in other grades, including after school programs and summer programs. 
c. When an educational state of emergency is declared for a school district, the executive county superintendent of schools shall hold a public meeting of interested stakeholders for the district including, but not limited to, parents, Marie Corfield: NJ's literacy solution: longer school day for kindergarteners?:


CURMUDGUCATION: The Best Lobbyists

CURMUDGUCATION: The Best Lobbyists:

The Best Lobbyists



Most industries are the subject of reports about the effectiveness of the various players. Why would the lobbying industry be any different? Let me introduce you to Bloomberg's quarterly report on theBest-Managed Lobbyists in the government sector.

We're going to look at the third-quarter report from 2015, and it starts by laying out the challenges of the current DC.

For lobbyists, Washington is growing more complex and more competitive. Lobbyists say their clients are more sophisticated. Clients expect more, despite there being fewer opportunities to influence legislation. Competition, lobbyists say, is intense–and growing. 

Bloomberg notes that (in a sign of These Tough Times) that out of 1300 lobbying groups, only 22 are Bloomberg certified awesomesauce proficient performers who exceed expectations.

To be influential, firms need to be savvy about how they use information to get ahead. “There was a time when personal relationships were the only thing that mattered,” Greg Nickerson of the #1 ranked Washington Tax & Public Policy Group tells us  (page 4). “Those days are gone.” 

So what does the report tells us about these days. Well, there's a list of the top ten issues for which lobbies were filing 9that's out of 79 possibilities). Budget is #1, followed by taxes. Number ten on the list? Education. So we're still in the lobbying world's top 10. Which begs the question-- why are 
CURMUDGUCATION: The Best Lobbyists: